Bombs hit Nigerian city during opposition meeting

Witnesses say several bombs have exploded in a northeastern Nigeria city which is hosting a meeting of opposition political parties.

The blasts happened Thursday afternoon in the city of Maiduguri, long under assault by a radical Islamic sect known as Boko Haram. A security official said he believed some soldiers were killed in the blasts, but did not have any other information. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to journalists.

The All Progressives Congress, a recently announced amalgam of opposition parties in Nigeria, was holding a meeting Thursday in the city that had drawn powerful politicians.

Meanwhile, police in the eastern state of Taraba said foreigners working for a construction company escaped a kidnapping attempt Wednesday night that killed two police officers.